“Luis Enrique always gets it right”: the PSG maestro earns high praise

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·14 March 2026

“Luis Enrique always gets it right”: the PSG maestro earns high praise

After PSG/Chelsea, Elie Baup gave a heartfelt tribute to Luis Enrique, the 55-year-old Spanish coach of PSG, in Le Parisien. The former coach praised the tactical accuracy of the Parisian manager, his mastery of collective pressing, and his ability to turn a match around, even with bold choices like initially benching Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Baup: “But for this symphony to be played, everyone must be in harmony”

“There was an element of risk in exposing Marquinhos more in one-on-one situations. But this positional play favored counter-pressing and made it possible to put the opponent in difficulty as soon as Paris regained the ball. The work done by Neves on Palmer in particular was extraordinary. Pressing depends on the players’ physical abilities, but also on coordination and movement. And on this point, Paris was impeccable. There were the triggers on the pitch and the conductor, who is Luis Enrique. It was a real symphony. But for this symphony to be played, everyone must be in harmony.”

Baup: “He’s an incredible coach”

Kvaratskhelia on the bench? His entrance proved Luis Enrique right. The guy was angry, and I understand him, because he was recruited to start this kind of match. But Luis Enrique always gets it right, in fact. He’s an incredible coach. He’s truly possessed. He has a burning passion, but he’s a role model, he keeps amazing me, and I watch PSG’s matches just for him, to see what he can do tactically.”

In Baup’s eyes, Luis Enrique here goes beyond the simple status of a successful coach: he appears as the total mastermind of this Paris Saint-Germain. His praise is based on a simple but formidable idea: nothing was left to chance in the victory against Chelsea.

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The more exposed positioning of Marquinhos did indeed carry a risk, but this choice served a higher logic, that of aggressive, coordinated, and perfectly executed counter-pressing. Baup also insists on collective harmony, on the triggers for pressing, and on João Neves’s impact in off-the-ball work, all elements that reinforce the idea of a PSG guided by a very strong tactical hand. Even the case of Kvaratskhelia, frustrated then decisive, according to him, strengthens the authority and instinct of the Parisian coach.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.